4th Letter

Dear Family! 

What a week.... It really was great to talk to you guys! I wished I would have been able to talk to you guys longer, but I had too many girl crazy Elders in my group that took all of the phones. So anyways, Monday night we spent most of the day at the mission home being taught by the AP's, but they took us out to knock doors with some of the Elders in the neighborhood. It was the most crazy experiences of my life. So me and Elder Hermbirgner (about a year out) went to the most ghetto looking apartments in New Mexico I swear!! And we were knocking and having people slam doors in our face faster than we could knock!! So this one door we knocked on this guy answered it, and actually opened it and let us talk for a second, so we explained who we are and why we were there, and he didn't seem interested at all, but said we could come back another time. So we asked him what his name was and a phone number so we could contact him, and then out of no where he just flipped!! He said that we cant be soliciting here and started cussing us out. So we just said cool have a good day and let him be, and went and knocked on some other doors. So as we continued knocking we could still hear him yelling and cussing out Mormons, and how evil of people we are. Which is ironic after what happens next. We went up a level in the apartments and kept knocking, then all of the sudden we see that guy holding a bat type thing on the level below us. I crapped my pants.... He looked up at us and then said something and then broke this pottery thing to try to scare us. (it worked for me at least) So I looked at Elder Hermbirgner and he didn't seemed phased at all, which surprised me. I was like lets run Elder!! I dont think I can out run many people, but I felt like I had a step or two on this Elder so that comforted me!! haha ;) Anyways we just stood there and the guy yelled something else which isn't appropriate and then walked off. SO we kept knocking... haha great first experience. 

So Tuesday morning was the transfer meeting, and this was the exciting part. I'm assigned to the Alamo Navajo Indian Reservation! Which is way exciting and I have loved it. I was a little concerned before I went to the meeting on where I was going, so I prayed a lot! And the Lord really does answer prayers, and I definitely feel like President Miller was inspired to send me here. My companion is great! Elder Lish from Pocatello, Idaho. He is outstanding and I fell like we are going to do amazing things out here on the reservation. So I am the 3rd missionary ever to be trained on the Reservation. Collier is the ward mission leader, and he makes it very very clear to President Miller not to send just any missionary to Alamo. So both Collier and Elder Lish tell me that President must have saw something in me that he didn't in the rest of the missionaries. So I truly feel blessed to be serving in this area. So the Reservation is like 2 hours from the nearest civilization, and it feels like I am not even in America. There is so much missionary work to be done, we have about 70 investigators and like 20 in actives. Nobody on the reservation has cars, or they are broke down so it is hard to get everyone to church. But we have already taught 3 people today and I invited one of them to be baptized and she seems pretty promising so thats exciting. Natives are very stubborn and dont like to give up their hooka and alcohol so thats a challenge we face but  But yeah there is always someone to go see and teach so we wont ever be bored. So yeah there is only one cop in all of Alamo, and he just sits at home all day so there is so much crime that goes on, but nobody messes with the missionaries. We have a little trailer right next to our little church which about 1/8 of the size of our Stake center in Ammon. I try not to think about it, but Satan definitely is present here on the reservation. There is things called Skidwalkers that are like evil spirits that manifest themselves unto you, its because of how much priestcraft and all that, that goes on. All our blinds are shut and what not because my companion has seen stuff that he wont even talk to me about because he doesnt want to relive that memory. It's real and I am not even kidding. I know that the priesthood power is way WAY more powerful than that so it doesnt scare me, but it definitely is out there. And Satan really wants to stop this work and will do anything to do that. Read 2 Nephi 26 I think. The Book of Mormon really comes to life out here, It talks about how the Native people will loose the gospel and fall into priestcraft, and then the Gentiles (white people) through their pride will come and basically destroy them haha sounds familiar. Its sad, but thats exactly what happened. Prophecy through the Book of Mormon. It's hard for some reason to get the people to understand that this is their book and their ancestors, but we are trying to give the Book of Mormon more meaning to them as we teach it. But once again they are stubborn to their traditions.  

Everything here is so western, I'm surprised that they even have electricity. I definitely feel hidden from the world, which is a good thing I guess. 

I haven't seen McClain, I guess he is down in El Paso. But all of the Elders know who he is and say he is a hard worker, as I can imagine. This Sunday is Stake Conference down in Sucorro which is about 2 hours away, but I guess it is one of those regional broadcast ones where an apostle speaks so that should be exciting. Hopefully we can get some investigators to come with. 

My Email day is Wednesday and my address to send me things is: 

P.O. box 5130, Alamo, New Mexico 87825  

I really need like a nice fleece jacket like my champion one that I use to where all the time. We don't wear suit coats out here, because it gets so dirty. So if you could find and sent me one I would be very very happy! Probably just a Large. I probably wouldn't dear elder me any more, just because it will take just as long to get to me as an email would, but I definitely would appreciate letters and what not now and then. Please no more junk food. I get fed enough fatty foods as it is by the Natives. They cook everything in like 6 cups of lard!! Its disgusting to think about, but it tastes amazing!  

I hope everything is going awesome with the family!! Bo is still alive I hope!! Tiff still is feeling alright? It was really good to hear your guys voices, I didn't recognize Dads at first which kind of scared me, but thats what happens while your on your mission sadly enough.... Red Sox's done much? How are the Jazz doing? I saw at the airport that the Lakers have been doing really well.... thats too bad. So whats the news about the pope resigning? (fall of the great and abominable church anyone?) haha are people freaking out or is it nothing? Anything else been going on in the news? Probably not. Well the work must go on so I better go on.
Take Care and love you tons! Take a look at what the Navajo language looks like, its intense!! I'm starting to learn and Collier really wants me to learn, because the Natives really respect that. 

Love ya,
Elder Barrus